Nearly all new cars come with backup cameras, but if your older vehicle doesn't have this handy technology, you can install one yourself without great difficulty. We walk you through it.

Backup cameras are a nearly universal option on new cars and will likely be mandated for all cars by 2014. And for good reason: The compact cameras provide a view of what's behind the car, reducing the chance of backing over a bicycle or, worse, the kid riding it. Plus, the device greatly eases parallel parking.

But the average age of a vehicle on the road is 10.8 years (up from 8.4 in 1995), which means the vast majority of cars and trucks don't have this feature. If you plan to keep your older car but still want the peace of mind that comes with a backup camera, it's not too difficult to install one yourself.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Aftermarket manufacturers now produce a wide array of DIY rearview camera kits. The cost varies, based on the size and resolution of the digital screen. A hundred bucks—the price of our wireless kit from Peak Automotive—buys a good balance of quality and easy installation. We installed it in a 2003 Honda Civic coupe. The hard part was opening the plastic clamshell package.

INSTALLATION

Our camera-kit installation didn't require a deep dive into the toolbox. All that was necessary was a wrench to remove the license plate and some simple wiring tools. The kit has three parts: the camera, which mounts to the rear license-plate bracket; a transmitter that sends video wirelessly; and a rearview mirror with an integrated screen. A signal wire runs from the camera through the trunk or cargo area and plugs into a small control-box transmitter. You may need to get creative passing the wire to the interior. We snaked it behind a license-plate light [1],but it might be necessary to drill a small hole in the trunk or hatch and use the included grommet to protect the wire from the hole's edge. The transmitter is powered by splicing into the wiring for the backup light [2], which is electrified only when the car is shifted into reverse. Mounting the camera took us all of 15 minutes, and we got a clean, nearly undetectable install.

Since video is transmitted wirelessly, we didn't have to run a signal wire through the cabin to the dashboard. Inside the mirror housing are the video signal receiver, a 640 x 480—pixel monitor hidden behind a one-way mirror, and a few control buttons to adjust the picture. Installing the mirror is even easier than hooking up the camera. All we had to do was mount the new mirror over the old one [3]. A spring-loaded clamp grabs on to the top and the bottom of the factory mirror, and Velcro strips wrap around it to keep the kit mirror in place.

To power the new mirror, there are several options. Tuck the power cord that plugs into the top of the mirror into the front of the headliner. Then route the wire down the driver-side A-pillar, where you can hide it behind the trim and run it into the dash. Our A-pillar trim came off by hand, but yours might require a bit of work with a screwdriver or a trim-removal tool to get it free. From here you can either plug it into the cigarette lighter or permanently install it into a keyed-on circuit. We chose the latter and tied into the fuse box with a splice to the radio circuit, which comes on with the ignition. Use a test light and your ignition key to find a circuit that makes sense for your car. The whole installation should take 30 to 45 minutes if you're obsessive about it, 10 minutes if you aren't.

RESULTS

So how well does it work? Surprisingly well. We were impressed by how quickly the monitor and the camera start up when the car is turned on and shifted into reverse, especially for a $100 piece of tech. The image is very clear (even at a 3-inch screen size), and the camera performs well in both high- and low-light situations. There is, however, an idiosyncrasy we noticed while cruising through town. The mirror's receiver is always on while driving and constantly searches for the video signal from the camera. When it finds one, the screen is immediately turned on and displays the signal, regardless of where it's coming from. This is a bit strange when you drive through pockets of interference. On one or two occasions during a 40-mile drive the screen turned on and displayed a static pattern similar to what you'd get on a television tuned to channels with no signal. It didn't happen often, but in a big city with lots of electromagnetic interference, it could get distracting. The fix is relatively easy: Turn the mirror off when you're cruising. We've decided this quirky behavior isn't a big deal for such an easy and useful upgrade.

Pick the right American wire gauge (AWG) to carry the current for your device. Too small and the wire burns; too big and you're wasting money. For long runs, bump up the wire gauge by one size to offset increased resistance. In cars, use stranded wire—it resists breakage from vibration.